[On-the-Ground Report] Armored vehicles and detection dogs deployed... Halloween in Itaewon and Hongdae: a “battle against the crowds”

[Financial News] At around 5 p.m. on the 30th of last month, outside Itaewon Station in Yongsan District, Seoul, police special forces officers in black tactical uniforms entered an alley beside the Hamilton Hotel with two bomb-detection dogs. The officers walked through the alley where the 2022 Seoul Halloween crowd crush occurred and surveyed the area around World Food Culture Street. A police special forces armored vehicle was also stationed near Exit 1 of Itaewon Station.
According to Financial News reporting on the 1st, police and local governments stepped up safety measures for Halloween to prevent crowd crushes and violent crime. From the 23rd of last month through the 1st of this month, police operated a special response period and deployed a cumulative total of about 7,800 personnel—including police mobile units, regional crime-prevention patrol teams and detectives—to 28 priority management areas nationwide.
Pre-event inspections covered obstructions on pedestrian routes and vulnerable spots such as ventilation grates and manholes. Depending on crowding, authorities were to separate pedestrian routes, introduce one-way traffic and restrict vehicles. Crowd-related calls to the 112 emergency number were to be dispatched at urgency level “Code 1” or higher for a swift response, alongside counterterrorism patrols using police special forces.
In particular, on Halloween, Seoul Yongsan Police Station deployed 370 officers to World Food Culture Street in Itaewon, Yongsan District, Seoul, and six sloping alleys leading to it, working with the district office, fire services and other relevant agencies to manage crowds. On the night of Halloween, the 31st of last month, crowds converged on Itaewon, and trains on Seoul Subway Line 6 were ordered to pass through Itaewon Station without stopping.
According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s real-time urban data, between 32,000 and 34,000 people had gathered around the Itaewon Special Tourist Zone as of 11 p.m. that day, with congestion rated “busy.” Even after midnight, police and district office safety personnel continued working on site to disperse crowds and maintain order.
Safety management measures were also in place around Hongdae in Mapo District, Seoul, during the day on the 30th of last month. Electronic signs along Wowusan-ro 17-gil provided crowd-safety instructions in Korean and English, while banners indicating the locations and duration of traffic restrictions hung at the entrances to streets.
At around 1:55 p.m., a Mapo District Office employee wearing a fluorescent vest noticed that a clothing rack in front of a clothing store extended beyond the yellow boundary line marking the pedestrian route and moved it farther inside. The employee was clearing an obstruction that could impede pedestrians.
A Mapo District Office official said the office had sent a letter requesting cooperation from the merchants’ association and provided guidance on clearing obstructions from pedestrian routes and removing advertising materials. An official from Seoul Mapo Police Station also said police would be deployed during the evening, when crowds gather, and that they planned to restrict areas as needed depending on crowd density.


Despite stepped-up safety measures by police and local governments, people remained concerned about accidents caused by crowding. A university student surnamed Lee, whom we met in Hongdae, said, “It’s especially scary when there are a lot of people on the subway. Since the Seoul Halloween crowd crush, I’ve tried to avoid crowded places as much as possible.” Lee added, “Police patrols and safety facilities help, but I don’t have 100% confidence in them.”
Kim, a 27-year-old office worker who lives in Gangnam District, said, “I often go to busy areas with friends on weekends, but these days, if they get too crowded, I deliberately take another route. We keep hearing about knife attacks, too, so I worry whether I’d be able to get out if something happened.”
Park, a 34-year-old resident of Seongbuk District, said, “With police patrolling and safety personnel deployed, I feel more at ease than before,” but added, “I still worry whether things could be properly controlled if people all crowd into an alley at once.”
Experts stressed that preventive safety management is needed not only at large-scale events but also in everyday places where large numbers of people gather.

[email protected] Kim Ye-ji Reporter